Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform the 'bhoomi pujan' of Noida International Airport (NIA) in Gautam Buddha Nagar's Jewar in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh on Thursday. The ceremony, which comes a few months ahead of the state Assembly polls, assumes significance as the Jewar Airport project was among the top priorities of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath when he assumed office in 2017.
"Tomorrow, 25th November is a major day for India's and Uttar Pradesh's strides in infra creation. At 1 PM, the foundation stone of the Noida International Airport will be laid. This project will significantly boost commerce, connectivity and tourism," PM
Modi has tweeted. The
foundation stone laying ceremony is expected to go on for a little over one hour, following which, the PM will return to Delhi.
The
Jewar Airport is going to be the largest airport in Asia. It is being developed by Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL) -- a 100 percent subsidiary of Zurich International Airport AG, the Swiss concessionaire of the project -- in public-private partnership (PPP) mode.
The entire project -- estimated to cost around Rs 30,000 crore -- will be completed in four phases. The mega greenfield airport will be spread over more than 1,300 hectares of land and have the capacity to serve around 1.2 crore passengers a year in the first phase. According to the government's claim, the first phase of the airport will be completed by 2024 -- the year when the next Lok Sabha elections are scheduled.
The airport is proposed to offer the swing aircraft stand facility under which an aircraft can be operated for both domestic and international flights from the same contact stand without having to re-position itself. This facility, say officials, will ensure quick and efficient aircraft turnarounds and benefit aviation companies and passengers.
Another USP of the
Jewar Airport is that it will be "India’s first net-zero emissions airport". According to the plan, the Noida International Airport authority will preserve all "native species" and "be nature-positive" throughout the development of the airport. In fact, the authority has already identified the land where a forest park will be developed using trees from the project site.
In terms of connectivity, Noida and Delhi will be connected to the airport through hassle-free metro service. All major nearby roads and highways like the Yamuna Expressway, Western Peripheral Expressway, Eastern Peripheral Expressway, Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, and others will be connected to the airport. The airport will also be linked to the planned Delhi-Varanasi High-Speed Rail, enabling the journey between Delhi and the airport in only 21 minutes.
For the first time, an airport in India has been conceptualised with an integrated multi-modal cargo hub, with a focus on reducing the total cost and time for logistics. The dedicated cargo terminal will have a capacity of 20 lakh metric tonne, which will be expanded to 80 lakh metric tonne. This will enable the airport to play a crucial role in helping the region attract huge investments, boost rapid industrial growth, and enable the reach of local products to national and international markets.
